Lu Yin frowned. “So the Great Yu Empire didn’t notice anything at all?”
Huo Qingshan bitterly responded, “So what if we did? Nothing would change. Nobody can do anything. The only thing that you can do is save yourself. The cultivators who were lucky enough to survive will secretly head back to Earth every once so often and pick out some talented people and have them enter the hidden organization to keep it going.
“Generation after generation, things will continue in the same manner as civilizations on Earth die and rise. It’s an infinite cycle.”
“Wait, what about the Primeval Surname Alliance that you mentioned before?” Lu Yin asked.
Huo Qingshan explained, “It’s a very ancient alliance. For countless years, the underground organizations have not been able to find that group. This alliance is just like Earth: doomed.”
“How many people are in it?”
“It’s a symbol. It’s not about the people. There were about eighteen of these images that were found on Jupiter, and we’ve only decoded one of them as representing the Hidden Earth Society. However, despite the many years, we haven’t been able to find any of the others. I’ve actually been travelling through the universe in search of this alliance, which is how I got to know His Highness, Undying Yushan. We eventually became a representative for the Hidden Earth Society,” Huo Qingshan said. He then let out a long sigh. He’d kept this a secret for far too long, and he’d never told anyone about this before.
“So the Great Yu Empire doesn’t have any records of Earth being destroyed?” Lu Yin asked.
Huo Qingshan shook his head. “No. Nobody knows how the previous civilizations on Earth died out, but we can confirm that someone has been going after those with primeval surnames.”
Lu Yin felt very dejected. “How do I know that you’re telling the truth?”
A unique look appeared in Huo Qingshan’s eyes. “The Hidden Earth Society is hidden on Jupiter. You’ll know that I’m speaking the truth once you go there, but they won’t meet you. The person who destroyed Earth in the past hasn’t appeared again yet, which means that they can’t show themselves either. I will never be able to return either, because they will never show themselves.”
Huo Qingshan stared at Lu Yin. “Your Highness, Earth has already returned to an era of cultivation. It won’t be too long before it’s destroyed again.”
Lu Yin’s eyes sparked, and he put the gun down. “I’ll believe you for now. What powerhouses are there in your organization?”
Huo Qingshan smiled wryly. “We don’t really have any. The Hidden Earth Society only exists to keep some Earthlings around in order to abide by the ancient treaty. They will never be able to enter outer space, and they won’t be able to cultivate to a high level.”
“If they don’t really have any experts, then there’s no point in you finding the alliance.” Lu Yin still did not believe Huo Qingshan.
The Hunter replied, “I don’t know about that. It’s possible that the ancient agreement is about something else.”
Lu Yin’s eyes lit up. He decided that he was going to go back to Earth, find this organization, and then find out what this ancient treaty was all about.
Huo Qingshan believed that Lu Yin was a part of the Zishan clan and that his “Lu” surname was fake. However, reality was actually the opposite. Although Lu Yin had lost his memories, Big Sis and the rest knew that he was a Lu descendent the moment they saw him. It was simple; this surname was branded into his blood. The “Lu” surname embodied him. If this so-called “alliance” really existed, then perhaps the place where he had been born had been destroyed just like what had continuously happened to Earth.
It seemed that only by finding out the truth behind the primeval surnames would Lu Yin be able to regain his memories.
“Have you recently done any research into the other primeval surnames?” Lu Yin asked.
Huo Qingshan answered, “Yes. The Great Yu Empire has gathered quite a few of them compared to the rest of the Outerverse. However, like Earth, they are all destroyed once they develop enough, though the organizations destroying them never seem to actually finish the job. It’s rather similar to…”
“Rearing them,” Lu Yin grimly finished the sentence.
Huo Qingshan immediately responded, “Yes, rearing them. It’s as if they’re being reared, and that once they grow to a certain point, they’ll be massacred.”
“Which primeval surname was destroyed the most recently?” Lu Yin asked.
Huo Qingshan quickly answered. “The Wang clan from the twelfth filament. It governed numerous planets and had quite a number of talented disciples. The strongest was close to becoming an Enlighter, but they were destroyed ten thousand years ago. As of now, all of the Wang clan members have changed their surnames and betrayed their name.”
Lu Yin suddenly recalled Zhang Dingtian and the others from Earth. “Were you guys the ones who took Zhang Dingtian, Bai Xue, Xu San, and Seruzen away?”
Huo Qingshan shook his head. “You could say that, but in reality, not really. The people who took them away should have been from the Hidden Earth Society, but they’re not in hiding. Not everybody is willing to hide. Some members leave Frostwave Weave and go traveling beyond the weave, wanting to make the most of their life. These people also look for talented disciples. While Zhang Dingtian, Xu San, and Seruzen don’t have primeval surnames, they’re still from Earth. However, Bai Xue does have a primeval surname. The four of them have all been relocated.”
Lu Yin nodded, finally gaining some answers to the questions that he’d been struggling with for so long. He’d been wondering how much of a coincidence it was that all four of these people had disappeared simultaneously. However, for someone to take Zhang Dingtian all the way to the Starfall Sea meant that that person was definitely very powerful. That person was certainly much more daring than the members of the Hidden Earth Society who were in hiding.
“Who took them?” Lu Yin asked.
Huo Qingshan shook his head. “That I don’t know. Over the years, quite a few members from the society have left. Some are dead, and some are alive, but we don’t know who is where. All that’s ever been left behind is an emblem of the Hidden Earth Society. However, there’s one thing that we know for certain: they’ll never return to Jupiter. People who aren’t acknowledged by those on the planet can’t enter.”
“They can’t enter, or they aren’t allowed to enter the planet?” Lu Yin looked straight into Huo Qingshan’s eyes.
Huo Qingshan firmly answered, “They can’t enter. Jupiter must be the last refuge that the people who formed the Hidden Earth Society built. It can be seen, but it can’t be entered. I don’t know how powerful a person must be to get in.”
Lu Yin frowned. Forcing his way in wasn’t an option. Although he could kill Enlighters with his weapons, he hadn’t truly become as strong as an Enlighter. Huo Qingshan wasn’t going to be of any help either, since the Hunter couldn’t get in himself.
After speaking to Huo Qingshan for a while longer, Lu Yin left the house.
Huo Qingshan watched as Lu Yin left and then sighed. In the end, he had let the truth out. Earth had already entered an era of cultivation. After so many years, they’d finally discovered a common theme: the moment those with primeval surnames grew powerful enough, they’d be eliminated. There were no exceptions. Earth had already produced quite a few talented people, and the moment there were any powerhouses on the verge of becoming Enlighters, there would be people on the way to kill them.
The person closest to becoming an Enlighter was currently Lu Yin. It was possible that he would be the spark that triggered Earth’s destruction.
Even then, nothing would change. The Hidden Earth Society had witnessed Earth be destroyed generation after generation, but they had never intervened. Those people had already become numb to these events, and they didn’t even dare to look into who was behind the massacres. All they ever did was passively wait for the so-called ancient treaty.
While Huo Qingshan was a member of the Hidden Earth Society, he would never be allowed to step foot onto Jupiter. He’d gotten over that matter long ago. If Earth was going to be destroyed, then so be it. There was nothing that he could do. He only hoped that this person would be able to bring about some change.
Lu Yin left the house. He did not entirely believe Huo Qingshan’s words, but there should be some degree of truth to what he had said. Lu Yin headed straight for the imperial library to search for more information on Earth. It came as no surprise to him that the civilizations on Earth had been destroyed more than once, but there was no mention of the cause for their downfall. He searched for information on the twelfth filament’s Wang clan and found exactly what Huo Qingshan had told him.
Lu Yin felt that he wouldn’t be able to obtain much information here, and he also felt that it was about time for him to return to Earth. This planet that seemed so ordinary was hiding a huge secret.
However, why had nobody ever come for Lu Yin? If the people who had left the Hidden Earth Society were capable of taking Zhang Dingtian to the Starfall Sea, then they definitely had the ability to find Lu Yin. Was it because of his current position? Lu Yin was at a loss as for what to do. It seemed that him being a part of the Zishan family had fooled everyone.
An innate gift was something that had only appeared once in a zillion cultivators, but quite a few people possessing innate gifts had appeared on Earth in a short span of time. That in and of itself showed that the planet was strong.
Lu Yin summoned the Blind Monk and had the Hunter tear through the void to bring Lu Yin to the Yu Academy, which was located in the first ring that circled Zenyu Star. He wanted to see the youths who had come from Earth.
Lu Yin sighed ruefully as he looked at the towers in the distance. It had been a while since he’d last visited this place.
“Wait here,” Lu Yin ordered before charging straight into the academy. He remembered the tower was a part of Gerbach’s territory. Before, he’d fought Gerbach atop that tower. And then, in the blink of an eye, quite a few years had already passed by.
The tower was surrounded by the ocean on all sides. Lu Yin didn’t move very quickly, and he could see numerous Yu Academy students in the distance contending with the creatures in the water. The surface of the sea was soon stained a dark red.
Lu Yin glanced over, and just as he was about to leave, he heard someone exclaim in surprise, “Lu Yin?”
Lu Yin stopped. The voice seemed familiar, and he turned around to see a girl leap up from the sea and stare at him.
“Zhao Yu?” Lu Yin was surprised.
This girl was Zhao Yu, and she had once been a subordinate of Bai Xue. She had been one of the Three Snowgirls at Camp Blue right after the apocalypse on Earth had happened. She had once traveled across the continent on her own and traveled from Camp Blue to Jinlin. She’d also fought against Lu Yin once, and he remembered her very well.
Quite a few of the other students around Zhao Yu watched on as Lu Yin landed with excited appearances. This was the Royal Regent who was also the most powerful Limiteer in the entire universe! He’d killed an Enlighter with one shot, which had become a legend.
For the people of the Great Yu Empire, Lu Yin had become a legend. His experiences were even being documented by several filmmaking companies.
Being able to see him up close made these youths’ blood boil with ambition.
Lu Yin had not expected to run into Zhao Yu here, but then he suddenly remembered that Zhao Yu had been one of the people specially chosen from Earth to enter Yu Academy. She also hadn’t been the only one selected, as there was also Feng Hong, Huan Sha, Luo Yi, Qin Xuan, as well as several other talented people who had been brought over to the academy.
Zhao Yu looked up at Lu Yin in excitement. “It really is you.”
Lu Yin looked her up and down. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Have you been well?”
“Greetings to Your Majesty!” The students from Yu Academy around Zhao Yu immediately greeted Lu Yin.
Zhao Yu pursed her lips. It was only then that she remembered that the person in front of her was no longer a mere cultivator like her. This was someone who held authority over the entire Great Yu Empire and was also the most powerful Limiteer in the universe. He had proven himself capable of instantly killing ultra-powerhouses. At the moment, she didn’t know what to say to him.
Lu Yin had the other students leave and looked at Zhao Yu. “I didn’t expect you to leave Earth so soon.”
Zhao Yu gritted her teeth and bowed. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Lu Yin remarked with a laugh, “You’ve changed. I still remember your heroic aura during the apocalypse.”
